The numbers every startup founder should know
Key HR metrics and benchmarks for companies with 10 to 100 employees. Time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, turnover cost, and HR headcount ratios curated for startups.
- Recruiting benchmarks: time to fill and cost per hire
- Turnover benchmarks: replacement cost by role level
- Compensation: benefits as a share of total compensation
- HR operations: HR-to-employee ratios by company size
What this covers
This reference page presents key HR metrics for companies with 10 to 100 employees: time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, turnover replacement costs, and HR-to-employee ratios from published workforce research.
Who this is for
- Founders who want to know if their hiring speed or HR costs are normal
- HR professionals benchmarking team performance against industry data
- CFOs modeling HR costs and headcount planning
- Any small business trying to evaluate its recruiting or retention performance
How to use this
- Review the metrics most relevant to your current challenge: recruiting, retention, or HR capacity
- Compare your own numbers against the benchmark ranges to identify gaps
- Use the data to build the case for HR investment or staffing decisions
- Contact TalentForge360 for help interpreting your metrics in context
Limitations
Benchmarks are sourced from SHRM, BLS, and other published research and reflect averages across industries and company sizes. Your context — industry, stage, and geography — will affect what is normal for you. Do not use averages as targets without understanding the distribution.
Common Questions
What is a normal time-to-fill for a startup?
The median time-to-fill across all roles is 36 to 42 days by most published benchmarks. For senior, technical, or specialized roles, 60 to 90 days is common. If roles are staying open longer than 90 days without offers, the sourcing or screening process likely has a structural problem.
What does it cost to replace an employee?
Replacement costs vary by role level. For frontline and entry-level roles, published benchmarks put replacement cost at 30 to 50 percent of annual salary. For manager and senior individual contributor roles, 100 to 200 percent is a common estimate. Senior leadership replacements regularly exceed 200 percent of annual salary.
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